Following the Asia Urban Landscape Award and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award,
Mapo-gu Achieves Local Government Policy Award
Red Road Recognized for Integrating Tourism and Safety, Showcasing Mapo-gu’s Unique Identity
Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) won the Excellence Award at the ‘2024 Local Government Policy Awards’ on February 7 for its tourism-specialized street, ‘Red Road.’
The ‘Local Government Policy Awards,’ hosted by the Korean Local Government Association, recognize local government policies that contribute to regional development, selecting winners based on policy formation, implementation, and outcomes.
In 2023, Mapo-gu received high praise for creating the ‘Red Road’ in the Hongdae Cultural and Arts Tourism Special Zone by integrating safety and tourism activation, transforming an ordinary street into tourism infrastructure.
In particular, to ensure safety, the sidewalks were constructed using anti-slip paint, and advanced technologies such as the ‘AI Crowd Density Analysis System’ and ‘Disaster Alert Electronic Display Board’ were introduced to prevent crowd congestion, earning favorable reviews.
In fact, the ‘AI Crowd Density Analysis System’ and ‘Disaster Alert Electronic Display Board’ played a significant role in maintaining a safe ‘Red Road’ without accidents during heavily crowded events like Halloween and the year-end holidays.
Additionally, the successful hosting of large-scale international events such as the 2023 World Scout Jamboree Busking Event and the annual ‘Red Road International Dance Festival’ since 2023 helped establish Red Road as a global tourist destination.
Moreover, Mapo-gu installed the ‘Red Road Road Gallery’ around the Red Road area to create a space blending local culture and arts, and built 24-hour open restrooms to enhance convenience for tourists.
With this award, Red Road has once again been recognized as a model case for local government tourism resource development, following the 2023 Asia Urban Landscape Award Grand Prize and the 2024 Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award.
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, “Red Road is not just a street but a space embodying Mapo-gu’s unique identity encompassing tourism, culture, economy, and safety,” adding, “Mapo-gu will continue to make every effort to ensure that Red Road becomes a world-renowned and beloved destination.”
‘Nowon X-TOP,’ the first X Games park in Northeast Seoul, quickly becomes a local hotspot with 5,600 users in just one month
Emerging as a mecca for X Games with safe learning and enjoyment through 16 classes across 5 disciplines
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will operate extreme sports (hereafter X Games) training programs at ‘Nowon X-TOP,’ which opened at the end of last year.
The district plans to promote healthy physical activities through proper education on the risky X Games, expanding the base of X Games as both a sports genre and a young cultural code.
The X Games training programs starting this March include ▲Stunt Scooter ▲Skateboard ▲Roller Freestyle (Aggressive Inline) ▲BMX, and ▲Balance Bike. Each discipline is organized into classes of 6 students (5 for Balance Bike) by skill level, from preschoolers to elementary school students and above, with some disciplines offering intermediate classes.
Prior to launching the programs, a survey was conducted among visitors to Nowon X-TOP and Nohae Youth Hideout ‘Madang.’ Based on the 12-day demand survey results, which reflected various opinions such as preferred disciplines, tailored lessons by skill level, small class sizes for safe education, and lessons accessible to children, 16 weekly classes across 5 disciplines were established.
Certified instructors with public instructor licenses and teaching experience were appointed, and liability insurance for trainees was secured. However, all training equipment and protective gear must be brought by the participants themselves.
The tuition fee is 80,000 KRW for four sessions per month, and applications can be made online through the Nowon Lifelong Education Portal website. The first registration for March classes will be on the 15th at 10 a.m., on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additionally, the district is preparing to hold “Extreme Sports Competitions” in the first and second halves of the year to further expand the X Games base.
Nowon X-TOP, created through the remodeling of Nohae Neighborhood Park, is the first X Games park in Northeast Seoul and has become a hub for youth physical activities. It spans 2,000㎡ and includes a youth hideout, basketball court, futsal field, and multipurpose court.
Nowon X-TOP is notable not only for its rarity as an X Games park but also for being the only one nationwide constructed with concrete structures ensuring safety, and for its diverse sections accommodating three genres: street, transition, and bowl, which has attracted attention among enthusiasts. In fact, it recorded 5,684 users in just one month after its opening in November last year.
Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Falling and getting back up while doing extreme sports is part of growth,” adding, “We will spare no support to help youth enjoy healthy physical activities and dynamic culture and grow properly.”
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